title: A high-resolution cat radiation hybrid and integrated FISH mapping resource for phylogenomic studies across Felidae.
abstract: We describe the construction of a high-resolution radiation hybrid (RH) map of the domestic cat genome, which includes 2662 markers, translating to an estimated average intermarker distance of 939 kilobases (kb). Targeted marker selection utilized the recent feline 1.9x genome assembly, concentrating on regions of low marker density on feline autosomes and the X chromosome, in addition to regions flanking interspecies chromosomal breakpoints. Average gap (breakpoint) size between cat-human ordered conserved segments is less than 900 kb. The map was used for a fine-scale comparison of conserved syntenic blocks with the human and canine genomes. Corroborative fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) data were generated using 129 domestic cat BAC clones as probes, providing independent confirmation of the long-range correctness of the map. Cross-species hybridization of BAC probes on divergent felids from the genera Profelis (serval) and Panthera (snow leopard) provides further evidence for karyotypic conservation within felids, and demonstrates the utility of such probes for future studies of chromosome evolution within the cat family and in related carnivores. The integrated map constitutes a comprehensive framework for identifying genes controlling feline phenotypes of interest, and to aid in assembly of a higher coverage feline genome sequence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Mail Stop 4458, College Station, TX 77843-4458, USA.
authors.forename: Brian W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Terje
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Raudsepp
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pearks Wilkerson
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agarwala
authors.forename: Alejandro A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Schäffer
authors.forename: Marlys
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houck
authors.forename: Bhanu P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chowdhary
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000235:genetics*; D045989:Felidae / Q000235:genetics*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D016678:Genome; D005838:Genotype; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D010802:Phylogeny; D021101:Radiation Hybrid Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D026801:Synteny / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers